Read Online Patch Up by Stephanie Witter - Free Book Online Page A

looking anywhere but at each other. I sigh, feeling stupid to just stay like that in front of him. I don’t even know what he wants to do besides not sleeping with me. I bite on my lower lip, weirded out by my thoughts. I’m almost ... disappointed.
     
    “I’m tired, Duke.” I break the silence with a bored voice that doesn’t reflect my inner turmoil at all, but it’s not a lie either. I’m tired from this roller-coaster of a night that I want to put an end to.
     
    “Me too.” He closes his eyes and opens them fast. He seems to convince himself to say something else. “Do you trust me?”
     
    I turn away from him and grab something from my desk to put my hair in a messy bun. I must look awful with my frizzy and untamed hair; I didn’t even brush it after being outside in the breeze, but I don’t care. It’s just Duke, a guy who claims he doesn’t want to sleep with me but instead wants to play the shrink with me. I’m stalling. I should answer or say something, but what? My heart beats faster and louder, making my ears throb.
     
    “I don’t know,” I mutter lamely, staring at the ground.
     
    For anybody, it’s awful to say something like that to a guy that is sweet and caring from day one, but for me it’s already a huge step. A week ago I trusted nobody besides my parents. Nobody.
     
    “What if we try something to see if you trust me?”
     
    “What does it have to do with us being tired?”
     
    “You’ll see.”
     
    I chew on my lower lip, looking up at his face. He’s frowning. “But for that I already have to trust you since you’re not telling me about your experiment.”
     
    He smiles with amusement, but the seriousness doesn’t leave his expressive eyes. “Lie with me on your bed.”
     
    I stiffen and take hold of the edge of my desk. Just thinking of him on my bed is making me dizzy. I can’t. I can’t be in a bed with him, so close, I can’t let myself fall asleep and be vulnerable.
     
    “And do what?” I say coldly, shutting down once again.
     
    His demeanor shifts, too. His body stiffens and he clenches his fists. I know he’s not angry, just bothered by my reaction. Or maybe he’s nervous. “Sleep.” He fishes out a lighter from his jeans’ pocket and plays with it, his long and strong looking fingers swallowing the little thing in them. “Look, I don’t want to go back to my place and be alone. I don’t feel that good after ... you know? I’m sure you’re not feeling that well either, so why can’t we just be together and sleep?”
     
    “Because I can’t fall asleep with you in my bed, Duke!” I yell suddenly, tears falling down and disappearing on my sweater after trailing down my exposed neck. I’m breaking down. It’s sudden, it’s devastating, and someone is there to witness it. A sob shakes me from head to toe.
     
    His eyes widen, letting me know how confused and lost he is. He doesn’t know what to do or say and I don’t either. I put my hands to my face, hiding behind them. My thin fingers tighten on my hairline, almost painfully so. I bite my tongue so as not to make any sound. The pain in my heart is tearing me apart, pulling me down.
     
    “Skye, listen to me,” he says softly, trying to soothe me with his deep voice, but failing when a new sob shakes me again. God, I can’t take this anymore. I just want it to stop. I want everything to stop. I don’t want to feel like this anymore. “I’m going to hug you and you’re going to try to relax.”
     
    I shake my head no, pulling my hands away and letting him see my flushed face so damp from all the tears that I can’t stop. His jaw tenses but he doesn’t step away. No, instead he walks to me and very slowly pulls me against his chest, my head resting where his heart is beating loudly and too fast. His hands are lightly touching my back, making small circles to try and soothe me.
     
    I’m so tense that all my muscles are hurting me, but my tears stop abruptly, letting me gasp